Butaflika is the strongest for the Algerian presidency
Algeria, Politics, 3/18/2004

Though achievements under the rule of the Algerian president Abdul Aziz Butaflika are not convincing for many, but he seemed to be the most likely to win the next Presidential elections.

The President who returned back to the front in 1994 after years he had spent away from political lights, when the military establishment proposed to nominate him for a provisional presidency period, preceding general elections, refused then the post accepted by Elamin Zeroual, but he returned once again to compete for the presidency in 1999.

When President Zeroual announced desire to quit the presidency and to organize Presidential elections in which he does not take place, Butaflika's name reemerged once again. The renowned diplomat and the youngest ministers in the first Algerian government following liberation announced his nomination for the presidential elections as an independent.

Butaflika made use of the support of the peaceful society movement whose chairman was banned from nomination by the constitutional council and the same for the Islmaic al-Nahda movement after its founder Abdullah Jabullah left it. Butaflika also won the support of the National Liberation Front.

Buraflika took part in the presidential elections of 1999 at the title of the "Unanimous " candidate by his supporters and the title of the army candidate by his opposers who withdrew before the voting operation had started, in an incident which had a negative impact in the final results of the elections.

Butaflika for this election, does not enjoy the same previous party enthusiasm. But he had enhanced chances to win the elections due on April 3rd after three parties had signed a political alliance charter in support of his re-election.

The alliance charter includes the democratic national coalition, led by the prime minister Ahmad O yahya, the peaceful society movement of Islamic inclination led by Abu Jarra Sultani and the Correction movement of the National Liberation Front party led by the foreign minister Abdul Aziz Balkhadem.

Butaflika said he had decided to nominate himself for a new term of office in order to continue his program aiming at establishing peace, and enhancing national reconciliation and bringing back the country to its international position.

Butaflika left Algeria and stayed in the United Arab Emirates for several years before he had returned back to the front once again. He sees in the former prime minister of Malaysia Mahadeir Muhammad as a symbol of the only success in the Islamic world. But his opposition consider that he is unable to fulfill the dreams of the Algerians, the same did Mahadeir with the Malaysians.

Previous Stories:
  Two minutes on TV for each electoral candidate; Algeria completes preparation for the elections   (3/17/2004)
  Benflis vows to implement 100 democratic commitments: democracy, , liberalization of media   (3/15/2004)
  UNHCR launches 2nd visit-exchange between families in Morocco and in southern Algeria   (3/13/2004)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search